The Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) from the Agriyal cluster of Kondurg mandal has been nabbed by Cyberabad police for diverting funds meant for Rythu Bima (Farmers life insurance scheme) and Rythu Bandhu (Farmers investment support scheme). Using the insurance scheme for farmers, the officer made 20 fake claims under Rythu Bima and collected approximately ₹2 crore.
Cyberabad police chief Avinash Mohanty said that the Economics Offences Wing (EOW), along with the Kondurg police, nabbed 41-year-old Goreti Srisailam, the AEO, along with his driver, Odela Veera, 47. “The officer also misappropriated the Rythu Bandhu scheme of 130 pattadars (title-holders) and non-claimants by diverting funds from 2019 till date,” said the official.
The arrests were made following a complaint from the District Agriculture Officer of RR District about discrepancies. “It was informed that 20 claims of Rythu Bima pertaining to Agiryal cluster, Kondurg Mandal were found suspicious. On inquiry, it was found that Goreti Srisailam was involved in making fake claims of insurance and also misappropriated Rythu Bandhu scheme money using 130 fake pattadars and non-claimants,” said the official.
The Commissioner explained that Srisailam has been working as the AEO since 2017. “He enrolled a known person under the scheme and collected information through Rythu Bima portal to make fake claims of people who are older than 60, dead, who do not own land; for making fake claims of insurance of about 20 members,” explained the commissioner.
The accused Srisailam maintained multiple bank accounts using the driver’s name at Saidabad, Santoshnagar, Dilsukhnagar and other places across Hyderabad. The AEO had withdrawn money with the help of his accomplice and purchased 2.35 acres of agriculture land in Kondurg village, 8.20 acres of agriculture land in Thummalapally village, and also an open plot measuring 183 square yards in Kadthal village. All the properties purchased are registered under his wife Maheshwari’s name.
The EOW officials seized documentary evidence from the house of the accused, including two mobile phones, two debit cards, fake and forged death certificates of different people and insurance papers.
